Cartel Cats: Know Your Rights
Volume Three Opener: The Ugly Truth—New Rules for the Real World
The sun rises over Pawloma, but it doesn't always shine on the truth. In this city, every alley has a secret, every rooftop a story, and every cat—no matter how tough—carries scars you can't see. The crew knows this better than anyone. They've learned to speak up, to stand together, and to turn their pain into power. But as Volume Three begins, the ugly truth is staring them in the face: sometimes, the world doesn't want to hear your truth. Sometimes, it wants you to hide it, shrink it, or twist it until it's unrecognizable.
But not here. Not anymore.
Barbara stands at the center of the crew, her voice steady and her eyes fierce.
"We've been told to play nice, to keep quiet, to fit in. We've been handed rules that contradict themselves: 'Be kind, but don't let anyone take advantage of you.' 'Speak your truth, but not if it makes people uncomfortable.' 'Love is everything, but don't trust anyone.' How are we supposed to win a game where the rules change every time we start to play?"
Rico leans against a lamppost, grinning.
"That's the ugly truth, Babs. They want us confused. They want us fighting each other instead of fighting for something better."
Sneezy Lila pipes up,
"And when we finally open up, they act like we're criminals for making mistakes. Like honesty is a crime and forgiveness is a weakness."
Mama Patch, wise as ever, shakes her head.
"Silence doesn't protect you. It just keeps you alone. And pretending the world is perfect doesn't make it so."
The crew remembers every lesson earned the hard way:
If you're waiting for approval to be yourself, you'll wait forever.
Speaking up will make some people uncomfortable. That's their problem, not yours.
Real strength is lifting each other up, not stepping on the weak.
The ones who challenge you most are the ones you need to keep close.
Don't shrink to fit someone else's comfort zone.
If you don't see any good in the world, be the good.
Forgiveness is a power move, not a weakness.
Silence can hurt more than honesty.
You're not invisible—sometimes you're just out of their line of sight. Stand tall anyway.
And this year, the stakes are higher. The corruption runs deeper. The lines between friend and foe are blurrier than ever. The crew faces new enemies—some wearing badges, some hiding in plain sight, some looking back at them in the mirror. The old rules won't save them. Only the truth will.
But here's the real secret of Pawloma:
Your truth isn't ugly. Their attitude is.
If they can't handle your scars, your story, or your strength, that's on them—not you.
So this time, the crew isn't just surviving. They're rewriting the rules. They're building a world where love means more than judgment, where scars are proof of survival, and where every voice—no matter how shaky—matters.
Barbara looks at her friends, her family, her crew.
"We're not here to be perfect. We're here to be real. To fight for each other. To break the cycles that broke us. To plant something new, even in the cracks."
The city is watching. The world is waiting.
But the crew of Pawloma isn't waiting for anyone's approval.
This is Volume Three.
This is where the ugly truth becomes their greatest weapon—and their greatest hope.
Welcome back to Pawloma. The rules are changing. The truth is coming out. And this time, the world better be ready.